Mole-trap



(No MQ dddd M 0 L E T R A P.

No. 359 454. Patented Mar. 1-5, '1887,

UEE

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOSEPH HAMILTON MARLIN, OF BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA.

MoLE-TRAF SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,454, dated March l5, 1887.

Application filed August l0, 1886. Serial No. 210,544. (No model.)

T0 all whom', may concern.- Y

Be it known that I, JosEPH HAMILTON MAR- LIN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bloomington, in the county ofMonroe and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mole-Killers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ot' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or igures ot reference marked thereon, which forni a part of this specification.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of my invention, and is an elevation of the same. Fig. 2 is a vertical section. Fig'. 3 is a vertical section.

My invention relates to inoletraps or molekillers; and it consists in the Construction and novel combination of parts, as hereinafter described', and pointed out in the claims.

Referring by letter to the accompanying" drawings, A designates'a hollow statt' of any convenient length,'in which stafi is inclosed a spiral spring, B, which springniay be compressed by pulling upon the cross-bar O near the middle portion of the spike E, said cross-bar working in the vertical transverse slots F Fin the lower end ofthe staff A. Said slots F F extend up some distance into the start` A. The spring B encircles that portion of the spike E above the cross-bar, the lower end of said spring bearing against the upper edge of the cross-bar C, the upper end of said spring B bearing against the material of the staff at the upper end of the bore G of the staff, said bore commencing at the lower end of the stati-and extending above the upper ends ofthe slots F F far enough to permit the spike E to be raised to draw the point of4 the spike up into the lower end of the bore of the staff.

'Near the upper ends of the slots F F are pivoted the triggers H H', their lower ends, I I', being bent or curved sothat said lower ends'will pass under the projecting ends of the cross-bar C whenl the upper ends of the triggers H H are set under the upper hook ends, H2, of the sliding triprods K K', said triprods being bent at L below the hook ends of the triggers H H', so that these hook ends will shape.

be turned out of the way ofthe cross-bar C B. At their lower ends the trip ends K K' are provided with rings or feet M formed thereon by bending the wire of the trip-rods in oval When the trip is set, the hooks of the triggers engage the under edges of the projecting ends ofthe cross-bar C, and the upper ends of the triggers are engaged by the hooks on the upperA ends of the sliding trip-rods.

The two angularly-bent prongs P P' in the lower end of the staff are inserted into the ground directly in front of the moles, and as the mole passes between the prongs it Iirst raises one trip-arm and releases the trigger on that side, and as the head of the mole passes beneath the other trip-arm its body is directly under the spike, and as the second trip-arm is raised the second trigger is released and the spike is shot down by the spring and passes directly through the body ofthe mole, impaling the mole on the spike, and thus killing it.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

l. The combination, with the slotted staff provided with the axial bore in its lower portion and the xed prongs projecting from its lower end, of the spike arranged in the bore and having the cross-bar intermediate of its ends, the encircling-spring around the spike above the cross-bar, and the pivoted trigger adapted to engage the cross-bar, and sliding trip-rod at one side of the staff adapted to engage the upper end of the said trigger, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the slotted staff provided with the axial bore in its lower por- Ition and the fixed prongs projecting from its lower end, of the spike arranged in the bore and having the cross-bar intermediate of its ends, the encircling-spring around the spike above the cross-bar, the pivoted triggers adapted to engage the cross-bar, and sliding trip-rods on opposite sides of the statt adapted to engage the trigger', substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH HAMILTON MARLIN.

Vitnesses:

JAMEs T. MGKINLEY, OsBo/Nn It. WYLIE. 

